


The Realness of Your Words

by wisia



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Gen, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 16:06:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6086095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisia/pseuds/wisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark is Steve Roger's soulmate. It says so on his wrist. And it is entirely a lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Realness of Your Words

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, angst galore. I couldn't get the idea out of my head, and I don't even know why I thought of it.

The skin on the inner side of Tony’s wrist itches uncomfortably beneath the cuff. It has absolutely nothing to do with the way that Steve Rogers stare at him, eyes searching and hopeful.

“Mr. Stark,” he says, and it comes out low and soft. An intimate tone that Tony of all people should not be privy to but was. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“Not by choice,” Tony says, his own tone deceptively light. He leans against the counter, presents himself as aloof and uncaring as possible. His suit is uncomfortably hot, and the tie around his neck feels like a noose. This day was long in coming, and it would have been longer still if Pepper hadn’t interfered. Or Natasha. The latter was probably the only reason that Rogers was standing there, able to corner him in the lab Fury had “graciously” lent for use on the helicarrier.

Tony should have made his escape ten minutes earlier. He regretted how easily he lost himself in the work on this occasion, but it was a habit and need that he couldn’t change.

“Yes, well.” Steve was taken back by his reply, a little hurt. “I’m still grateful that you, um, thank you.”

It’s painful listening to him speak, especially as this shyness, this bashfulness isn’t meant for him.

“Right,” Tony says, stops him there. He doesn’t think his heart can take it if Steve continues on. This show of vulnerability and naked want on his stupidly perfect face. “What can I do for you? Make it quick. I’ve another meeting to get to in fifteen.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, really.

He looks down at his wrist watch pointedly, and Steve takes a step closer. It makes Tony freeze.

“Mr. Stark,” and there it is again. That tender-ish thing laid out for Tony to hear. A tone once again that Tony really should not be allowed to hear. He’s still glad to hear it, and then the guilt swarms him as Steve continue. “I just—I think—“

The skin underneath his wrist itches again, and Tony takes a step back because he needs to put some distance between them. Needs to keep Steve from standing close and being all—

“Don’t,” Tony says. He knows what’s going to come out of Steve’s mouth. He doesn’t want it. He wants to keep on pretending, as if Steve never saw his wrist at all. That quick flash in the gym while they were sparring.

“I’m your soulmate,” Steve blurts out. He repeats it again, determined and sure, and this was what Tony didn’t want to deal with at all. He fucking hated Howard.

“I’m not your soulmate.” Tony’s heart clenches tight, and the arc reactor isn’t enough to make him move. Instead, he stands there and watches the hopeful expression falls from Steve’s face in one swoop.

“But…” Rogers waves to his wrist, gestures to it helplessly.

“I’m not.” He eyes Rogers head on, keeps his own gaze strong and unwavering. “You don’t even know my words.”

Tony didn’t even know his own words for that matter, regardless of what his wrist reads.

Steve makes a motion, a tiny sound in his throat. “You—I can prove it.”

He reaches for his own cuff with determination, that same Captain America bull-headness that led him to victory. Allowed the Avengers to succeed as a team.

Tony closes his eyes. This is too much. He can’t look at the bare skin of Steve’s wrist. It is taboo and forbidden, and it’s certainly not something Tony should see. He already got the other pieces. This would be a violation. _Is_ a violation.

“I’m not,” Tony says again. “I don’t—save it for your real soulmate. Because I’m not yours.”

He swallows hard, and he doesn’t quite know how to get the rest of the story out.

He doesn’t, and Tony turns, gets to the door and flees.

\-------

Natasha finds him later. Sneaks into his tower actually. She hits him over the head. That’s valuable brain cells he’s losing.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Tony scowls, and there went his whiskey spilled across the counter. He hated wasting perfectly good whiskey.

“Why, hello to you too.”

“He’s moping,” Natasha says. Her eyes bore into him, and Tony couldn’t care less. He eyes the counter, gives up on mopping up the mess, and takes a swig from the bottle itself.

“Look,” Tony says. “You’ve done my assessment. You know that I don’t believe in soulmates.”

“You better believe it. You have proof.”

Tony’s smile turn brittle. It wasn’t proof at all, but that wasn’t something he would tell her. Not if he didn’t even tell Steve, and he was the one that needed to know most of all.

“Just because his words are on my wrist doesn’t mean a thing. Now, get out.”

Natasha frowns, and Tony takes another mouthful. The alcohol burns.

“Stark.”

“Get out.”

\------

Tony doesn’t know how Pepper knows, but she knows everything. Maybe, Natasha. They became awfully close since Natalie worked with Pepper.

“You can’t keep doing this,” Pepper says. She’s concerned, but Tony isn’t doing anything crazy. So, she can’t tell him off for possibly giving SI a bad rep in the media.

“Unless it has to do with work, I don’t want to hear it.” He stubbornly ignores her and concentrates on his project with a high intensity that borders his usual mania phases.

Pepper sighs, and Tony really doesn’t need her to rag on him. “Will you just talk to him?”

“No.”

“This is what everyone dreams about, and you’re just, you’re just going to throw it away like that?”

“Funny thing about that,” Tony can’t help but say. “I never dreamt about meeting my soulmate.”

It was a possibility denied to him since he was twelve.

\-----

They make it work somehow. Steve and Tony and the Avengers. They have to.

The giant gap between them isn’t something to talk about, and it is a pachyderm that Tony shoves under the carpet hard. The tension and current between them simmers below the surface, but it doesn’t interrupt their world saving missions.

Not even when Tony finds himself slowly falling in love with Steve.

It’s the little things that Tony notices. The way Steve gets all passionate about baseball. How he doesn’t eat much for breakfast if he had a bad night or the way the light does that romantic thing to someone’s hair. And Steve is gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking in battle.

They fit, move synchronized.

It’s just…this was never supposed to be.

\------

They’re alone in Tony’s workshop. Steve has taken to feeding him and sketching on the ratty couch with DUM-E at his side. It’s a sight that makes his heart ache, and it’s what makes Tony’s shoulders slump and ask, “why?”

“What?”

“Why are you here, Steve?” He gestures to the complicated mess that is his life.

Steve pauses and very carefully says, “you know why.”

Tony wishes it was real. “You only like me because you think I’m your soulmate.”

He shouldn’t have let Steve become so comfortable in his space.

“I don’t,” Steve says.

“Yes, you do.” Tony sighs, puts down his tool. He can’t do this anymore. “I know you think I am, but I’m not your soulmate. Honest. It’s—fuck. It’s because of Howard.”

“Howard? What are you talking about?” Steve sits up straight. “Tony—“

“Who have you shown your words to?” Tony asks, voice sharp and cutting. “Did you show Bucky?”

“Ah, what?” Steve flushes. “What does that—you’re the only one I would—“

“You had to show the army, didn’t you?” Tony knows it’s true. Every enlisted man’s words photographed for posterity. It’s unforgivable, that breach of privacy, however necessary they deemed it then.

“It was required, yes, but—“

“So, it meant Howard knew.” Tony rubs a finger over his cuff. He still remembers the pain. “He burnt my own words off and put yours on. He forged it, thinking it would bring you back. If I was your soulmate, then you would have to be alive.”

“What?” Steve’s stunned, and Tony doesn’t blame him. “That’s—you can’t…”

“You can,” Tony says. His throat feels raw, and he just shakes his head. “Steve, I’m sorry. I meant to tell you sooner, and…if you want to look for your real soulmate, my database is at your command.”

“It can’t be true. It’s wrong and—” The disgust in Steve’s voice is strong.

“Imagine how I feel.” Tony pries his cuff off then. Shows Steve his bare wrist. “Look!”

“T-tony.” Steve’s eyes widened, and Tony’s stomach churn. This is the first time anyone has ever looked at his naked wrist since Howard ruined his words.

Steve inhales sharply, and he reaches out. Tony can’t stop him, watches as Steve’s fingers grace his skin. His touch is hot, burns and tingles. Tony has never felt so exposed in his life, but he doesn’t move even as his entire body trembles at the way Steve gazes at the forged words on his wrist.

“See,” Tony says hoarsely. “This is where they grafted it.”

Steve traces the edge of it, where the skin is obviously imperfect if one looked at it closely. Tony can’t read the emotions on his eyes.

“Tony, I don’t…”

It’s too much, and Tony drops his wrist. He feels faint. “I’m—just think about it. What are the chances that you have me as your soulmate? What is the likelihood that me of all the people in the world, with connections to you, would be your soulmate when half the population out there barely finds their?”

“I…”

“Think about it,” Tony presses.

Steve goes quiet. “I still love you regardless.”

“You love your soulmate,” Tony retorts. “I—“

His breathing is ragged now, and he really can’t do this.

“Just go. I’ll—I’ll just…”

Steve leaves, and Tony puts his cuff back on. He doesn’t think he’ll ever find his soulmate, his real soulmate. It doesn’t matter though.

He loves Steve Rogers, and Tony would do anything for him.

\-----------

Steve comes to him that night, waits for him on the bed. Tony cringes.

“Steve, what are you?”

Steve holds his hand out to Tony. “I thought about it, and I don’t care.”

“You can’t just—your soulmate is still out there.”

“Or dead,” Steve says evenly. His hand is still out stretched, waiting for Tony to take it. “Maybe you should have told me sooner, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“But…” Tony hesitates. He doesn’t want to deprive Steve of the opportunity to find the person that’s meant for him.

“Unless,” Steve falters. “You want to find yours.”

“No!” Tony’s surprised by the loudness of his voice. “No, I, uh…it’s only been you.”

“Good,” Steve says, and Tony takes his hand.


End file.
